The+West


 * 1. Using Scribble Maps outline the nations that you think are included when we discuss "The West". After embedding the map explain your rationale**

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The countries above are all European countries. When "The West" comes to mind, Europe is what pops into my head. All of the eastern European countries are included in this, except for Russia. I see Russia as an Eastern country. In the map I did not include any Asian, Middle Eastern, or African countries because I see the West as exclusively Europe. The Mediterranean was a very important part of the West leading up to its current modernized state, but I feel as if the countries North of the Mediterranean show a better image of what "The West" really is.

The US may also be seen as part of the West because they are defining feature of the West because, physically, the US is in the Western Hemisphere. The West can be seen as regions that have economic power and wealth.


 * 2. Read p. 673- 678 - and 690 - 695 Outline notes**
 * In the West women began gaining more dominant roles in society- womens right to vote 1920 (US)
 * Democratic government in Germany allowed change in womens right despite the large amounts of debt from WWI
 * Consumerism led to new technology like as the radio and the television- inventions like these brought societies and new parts of the world together
 * countries became focused on research on how to create a better world economy; the US and Japan were achieving success in this category
 * Italy shifted their government to fascist rule under Benito Mussolini after not being able to have successful control over all the land they were given


 * overproduction and too many exports soon led the US to go into an economic depression in 1929- too many loans were given out that weren't going to be paid back
 * extremism began to rise as a new form of government in some countries as a response to the global economy going downward
 * the New Deal provided families in the US with retirement aid; banks stopped giving out big loans in order to prevent another depression form occurring
 * totalitarian Nazism took power in Germany in the early 1930s in hopes to create the perfect state
 * the Spanish Civil war broke out in 1936 as fascism took over- the US and Russia fought against their government with the Spanish


 * NOTES: 709-721: WORLD WAR II**
 * MI:** World War II started from aggression of totalitarian states and appeasement. This war caused a major shift in world powers and the overall global economy.
 * **axis powers-** Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Japan
 * **Allied Powers-** Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Soviet Union, US
 * biggest and costliest conflict in human history- 1.6 trillion $ and between 55-60 million deaths
 * WWII shifted the balance of global strength, European powers had completely fallen apart after WWII
 * the US and the Soviet Union were the only nations left with enough military and technological power to further change the course of world events- led to the **Cold War**- 1945-1990- pseudo-war
 * WWII changed patterns of international trade, shifted global wealth, caused a boom in technological advances, brought women into the workplace, and affected the society, politics, and economy
 * WWII started from the anger of Germany, Italy, and Japan- powerful democracies did little to stop their dictatorships because they were concerned with the Great Depression
 * caused by appeasement- the policy of letting aggressors get what they want in hope of them demanding no more
 * League of Nations proved to be useless
 * 1933: Hitler withdrew from League of Nations
 * 1935: Hitler began to rebuild German army and navy, violating the Treaty of Versailles- Mussolini invaded Ethiopia -Soviet Union created an alliance with France to protect Czechoslovakia and Poland- antifascism cooperation- collective security
 * 1936: Spanish Civil War begins
 * 1937: Japanese military gains control of government- Germany, Italy, and Japan form alliance- Japan invades Chinese mainland- **Rape of Nanjing**
 * 1938: Austria added to Axis- **Munich Agreement-** Britain and France let Germany have Sudetenland in exchange for Hitler's promise to expand no more- it destroyed collective security and Stalin (Russia) didn't trust Britain or France anymore
 * 1939: Germany took the rest of the Czech- Italy invaded Albania- Japanese and Soviets fought in Siberia- Hitler began to make claims on Poland- **Nazi-Soviet Pact-** kept USSR neutral and opened the way for Hitler to invade Poland- WWII began when Germany invaded Poland
 * in 1940 Hitler began his assault on Western Europe- he successfully captured Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands in months
 * **blitzkrieg-** lightning war- strategy used to penetrate deeply and quickly into enemy territory
 * France fell in June 1940 to Germany
 * **Battle of Britain-** Britain held out thanks to its air force and strong navy and economic aid from US and Canada; during the same time Italy attacked the Mediterranean
 * **Operation Barbarossa-** the invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941- most of the German forces fought on the eastern front of Europe
 * Japan's war effort widened as Allied Powers were losing battles and territories
 * **Pearl Harbor-** December 7th, 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in a surprise attack- this was the cause of US mobilization into WWII
 * in 1942 a major shift in control of the war can be seen- the United States joined the war and the tables began to turn on the Axis Powers
 * **Midway Island-** 1942 naval battle where the US destroyed the Japanese aircraft carrier fleet
 * **El Alamein**- 1942 where the British turned back the drive of German tanks toward Egypt and the Suez Canal
 * **Stalingrad-** 1942 a savage clash on the Volga, where the Soviets prevented Germany from capturing south Russia and oil reserves in the east
 * June 1944 was known as the **D-Day Invasion** -- British, Canadian, American troops, ships, and aircrafts crossed the English Channel and landed on the east coast of France- Hitler faced threats from the eastern front, the Italian peninsula, and Western Europe
 * the war was eventually won by the Allied Powers in 1945 after the Axis surrendered (Germany gave up first)
 * Truman dropped an atomic bomb on **Hiroshima**, Japan in 1945 after they refused to surrender- and again 3 days later he dropped on one **Nagasaki**, Japan- they surrendered soon after
 * **Holocaust-** crime against humanity- 6million Jews killed under the rule of Hitler- German Jews were subjected to **Nuremberg Laws** where they were deprived from their civil rights- Jews were placed into special concentration camps and either put to work, tested with various gases, or exterminated- **the Wannsee Conference** decided that extermination camps would be used to kill the Jews- largest camp was **Auschwitz- Birkenau**
 * as a result of the war the **United Nations** was formed
 * WWII moved from hot war to cold war
 * **Teheran Conference 1943, Yalta Conference 1945, and Postdam Conference 1945 -** discussed the second front of the USSR, the division of Germany and Austria, the UN, and what would soon happen with Eastern Europe

The necessity for reconstruction after WWII in Europe kept them unable to pay for military forces strong enough to be used to maintian any colonies. The destruction that the war caused showed a decrease in world power among all nations that fought, except for the US and the USSR. The fact that the US and the USSR had such large and powerful armies caused European nations to focus more on self-defense rather than establishing themselves as powerful nations. The idea of building an all powerful empire no longer applied to many European nations after the war.
 * Read chapter 31p.732 - 750**
 * What were the major effects of decolonization post WWII on Europe?**

Stalin, angered by the threat of Western Democracy after WWII, decided to make East Germany a buffer zone, which would protect the USSR from any future military threat from the West. He put communist governments in the areas. Stalin's actions implied that he was afraid of democracy, and believed a communist system would have a better benefit in making the world a better place to live. The US and Britain did not agree with Stalin's decisions to apply totalitarian govenrments to Germany, as they were fighting for democracies to be established throughout Europe. The US and the British and the Soviets both invaded Germany at the same time, and as soon as it surrendered, the Allies decided to divide Germany into a Democratic West (France, Britain, US had their own territories) and a Communist East (controlled by the USSR). Berlin, the capital of Germany, was located in East Germany and it was also divided into a democratic and communist region.
 * How did the Cold War divide Europe? What were the implications of this division?**

European governments started moving more towards Liberal Democracies as a way to counter act fascist regimes. They wanted to stop the spread of the Communist Party, not destroy it all together. Liberal Democracies caused the movement towards the welfare state, where the government provided the people with a cushion/ benefits.
 * Why did European governments move towards Liberal Democracies?**

The welfare state is a set of government programs to protect the people and give them a more comfortable standard of living. Medical insurance was supported by the governement as well as unemployment aid. A new breed of bereaucrat, called the technocrats, started to show popularity because of specializing in engineering and economics and devoting the power to national planning. The welfare state caused the people to rely more on the government than they had previously. The problems that arose with the formation of the welfare state was the issue of cost. The government, now obligated to help those in need financially, had to provide much more money for programs than they had ever before.
 * What was the welfare state? Why did they develop? what were the issues?**

The European Union (EU) was established among a group of European countries after WWII in order to move away from the extreme ideas of nationalism that first caused the war.Countries were assembled into this union and all adopted the Euro as currency as a way to increase the markets.Tariffs were lowered among members of the Union. It also created a court system to solve disputes among the nations.
 * Trace growing diplomatic relationships within Europe**


 * Outline economic development in Europe**


 * The welfare state and the European Union would improve the purchasing power of the masses.
 * Consumerism began to take shape
 * Farmers now began to gain power being backed up by the technocrats
 * This caused an increase in agriculture.
 * The industries were rebuilt.
 * The work force increased.

The European West after WWII was left, in other words, in ruins. The main powers, Britain, France, and Germany, were almost completely incapable of showing political dominance in the new world. These countries relied on help provided by the US and the Soviets. Their economies grew in proportion to that of the US and the USSR. Western Europe began the European Union in order to kick start their national economies. They adopted a currency known as the Euro. Also, courts were established to solve international disputes between the nations in the union. Western Europe tried its best to remain a major world power as the US and the USSR zoomed right by them.
 * Outline the post war development of the non-European West (Excluding the United States)**

The United States role in world affairs grew because they were a militaristic superpower in the world. Since the British were unable to control the West any longer, Truman rose to the occasion saying that he supported "free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed forces". As the military might of the United States grew, they began to impose themselves in international affairs. The Cold War really showed how the US was establishing world dominance in technological advances as well as a military power. The American post-war economy was on the rise due to an increase in consumerism as a result of advancements in technology.
 * Explain the growing role of the United States in world affairs**

Women in the West were brought more into the workforce after the war. During the war, many women started working due to the lack of men still living at home, to bring in money for the family. We can start to see women gaining more rights in European nations as newer democracies were developed. Women started becoming a more influencing role in society, being known as workers and mothers all in one.
 * Trace developments for women in the post war West**

Europe began to develop a more modern culture because of the establishment of the welfare state. People begin to focus more on social problems due to the fact that they have to worry less about finances because the government is helping most of them out. Consumerism begins to decrease as old views are thrown away. Europeans didn't want to have another world war. A way to stop this would be to try new social and economic strategies. By redefining culture, Europe wouldn't fall into the same hole as they had done in WWII.
 * Outline cultural developments in Europe.**